Clip



a. l. MILLER Sept. 2, 1941 CLIP Filed Nov. 14, 1939 INVENTOR. GEORGE I.MILLER 2% ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November14, 1939, Serial No. 304,340

1 Claim.

This invention refers to clips and relates more particularly to a woundclip for use in surgery and the like.

Wounds and tissues are .now sewn by special needles and threads, and thestitches are left in the tissues for a considerable period of time untilthe wounds have healed and the tissues have grown together. The stitchesremaining in the tissues often cause capillary bleeding and so-calledstitch abscesses.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the use of stitchesin surgery and the like and to provide novel means for holding togethertightly and firmly the torn or cut edges of skin and tissues until thewound is healed.

Another object is the provision of a wound clip which will notstrangulate tissues, which may eliminate stitch abscesses, and by theuse of which capillary bleeding may be avoided.

A further object is to eliminate the danger that a part of the stitchesis left in the wound, thereby causing infection, to eliminate pain andmental anguish during the removal of the stitches, to facilitate a quickclosing of the wound and to lessen the time period during which apatient is under anaesthesia.

Other objects of the present invention, will appear in the course of thefollowing specification.

The objects of the present invention may be realized through theprovision of a wound clip made of metal, plastic material or the likeand consisting of one or several parts, each of which comprises barsinterconnected by bendable webs and provided with spiculas. Inoperation, the bars are placed on both sides of the wound and arepressed toward each other, so that they hold tightly the edges of thewound due to the bending of the web and the action of the spiculas,which project into the upper layers of the skin or tissues.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingshowing by way of example preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a wound clip constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section along the line 22 if Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating the use of the clip; and

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating different forms ofthe clips.

The clip shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawing comprises two bars 8 and9 and two webs l8 and II interconnecting these bars. The clip may bemade of any suitable metal, such as gold, silver, nickel silver, steel,aluminum, tin, or any other sheet metal which should be sufficientlyflexible to enable the surgeon to move the bars 8 and 9 toward eachother and thereby bend the webs I0 and II by the fingers of one hand andwithout the use of an instrument or tool.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the bars 8 and 9 are preferably hollow andsimilar to each other in form. They consist of bent edges of sheet metaland comprise inclined side surfaces l2 and I3, projecting portions l4and [5 which are U-shaped in cross section, and inwardly bent edges 16and Il, respectively.

The bars 8 and 9 are interconnected by thin and narrow strips or webs l0and H, which extend at both sides of an opening l8 and, preferably, havethe form of a fiat tray in cross section when the clip is not beingused.

The bars 8 and 9 are also provided with portions l9 and 20 which areU-shaped in cross section, which are situated close to the webs I8 and Hand which carry spiculas 2| to 24. The spiculas are, preferably, punchedout of the sheet metal of which the clip is made and are triangular inform. The ends of the spiculas are sharp, so that they can easily piercethe skin and tissues.

The use of the described clip is illustrated in Figure 4. The clip isplaced over the wound 25 in such manner that the spiculas 2| to 24extend downwardly and the'bars 8 and 9 are located on both sides of thewound and extend substantially parallel to the edges thereof. Then thesurgeon presses with his fingers the bars 8 and 9 toward each other,causing the spiculas 2! to 24 to pierce the upper layers of the skin andtissues and bending the webs H1 and II until the clip acquires the formshown in Figure 4. The clip is left in this position holding tightly theedges of the skin and tissues until the wound is healed.

The clip shown in Figure 5 comprises bars 38 and 3] which areinterconnected by five Webs 32 and which are provided with spiculas 33.

Figure 6 shows a clip having bars 4|] and M, the ends of which areclosed by means of flaps 42. The bars 48 and 4| carry spiculas 43 andare interconnected by webs 44.

The clip shown in Figure 7 comprises bars 59 and 5| having inwardlyturned edges 52 and 53, respectively, which are bent once again to formtubular flanges 54 and 55 contacting the adjacent surfaces of the web56. The bars 50 and 5| carry spiculas 51.

It is apparent that the specific illustrations shown above have beengiven by way of illustrations and not by way of limitation, and that thestructures above described are subject to wide variations andmodifications without departing 10 from the scope of the invention. Forinstance, several of the illustrated clips may be placed one next to theother and held together by wires extending through their bars. All ofsuch and other variations and modifications are to be in- 15 said hollowbars.

GEORGE I. MJILER.

